Does Alcohol Interact With Kidney Cancer Treatment? Alcohol can interact with some kidney cancer treatments, but its effect varies depending on whether you’re preparing for surgery or actively receiving treatment. Before SurgeryElhaddad and Chen recommend avoiding alcohol if you’re preparing for a nephrectomy (a common kidney cancer surgery in which a surgeon removes part or all of the affected kidney). Avoiding alcohol about two to four weeks before surgery can help lower the risk of these complications. “For many patients, limiting or avoiding alcohol during this time is the safest approach,” he adds, since alcohol can make treatment side effects like dehydration, fatigue, mouth sores, and digestive problems harder to manage.